Permanent partial disability, often called PPD, pays for the part of a work injury that never fully heals. You may be back on the job, but the damage stays. The law puts a price on that loss.
When PPD starts
PPD comes after the healing ends. Your doctor decides you have reached maximum medical improvement. Then a doctor gives your loss a rating.
The rating is a percent. It says how much use of a body part or of your whole body, you lost for good. Learn how it is set and how to fight a low one on the impairment rating page.
In California, the insurer must start PD payments within 14 days after your temporary checks end. It then pays every two weeks until the estimated amount is paid.
How a rating becomes weeks of pay
Most states turn the rating into a number of weeks. Then they pay a weekly rate for that many weeks.
Texas is the plainest example. You get three weeks of checks for each percent of impairment, so a 10% rating pays 30 weeks. Each check is 70% of your average weekly wage, within the state limits.
Florida pays its impairment checks at 75 percent of your temporary total check, every two weeks.
California adds more to the math. Your rating goes into a formula that also counts your age and occupation. Two workers with the same rating can get different amounts.
To see how many weeks your rating may be worth, try the impairment rating calculator.
Arms, hands, legs and eyes: schedule awards
Some states set a list of body parts, each with a fixed number of weeks. Lose part of the use of one and you get that share of the weeks.
New York calls this a schedule loss of use award. It covers the arm, hand, fingers, leg, foot, toes, eyesight, hearing and scars on the face, neck or scalp. After the Board decides, the insurer has 10 days to pay and either side can appeal within 30 days.
Pennsylvania calls it a specific loss. It applies if you lost the permanent use of all or part of a thumb, finger, hand, arm, leg, foot or toe, your sight or hearing or have a serious scar on the head, face or neck.
Permanent partial disability caps can be lower
Several states cap PPD checks below the cap on temporary checks. Here are five, with both caps for injuries in the same period.
| State | PPD weekly cap | Temporary weekly cap | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Iowa | $2,237 | $2,431 | state notice. |
| Missouri | $678.18 | $1,294.71 | state notice. |
| Montana | $596 | $1,192 | state notice. |
| Tennessee | $1,353 | $1,488.30 | state notice. |
| Wisconsin | $454 | $1,375 | state notice. |
In Montana and Wisconsin, the PPD cap is less than half the temporary cap. Other states pay both at the same rate. Find yours on the benefits by state table.
Back at work for less money
A lasting injury can also cut what you earn. Some states pay for that wage loss on top of or in place of, the rating.
Pennsylvania pays partial disability for up to 500 weeks if you go back to a lower paying job within your limits. Read more on going back to work.
Weekly checks or one lump sum
PPD can be paid out week by week or folded into a settlement. A settlement often trades your future medical care for cash, so look hard at it.
Before you sign, read about a workers comp settlement offer. Once signed, the deal is usually final.
People also ask
What is a workers comp payout for a permanent injury?
It is the PPD award. Your rating sets the weeks and your wage sets the weekly rate. It can be paid weekly or as part of a lump sum settlement.
Can I get PPD and still work?
Yes. PPD pays for the loss itself, not for missed work. Many workers get it after they are back on the job.
Who gives the rating?
Your treating doctor or a doctor the state or insurer uses. If the insurer's doctor gives a lower number, you can usually challenge it.
Is PPD the same as a settlement?
No. PPD is a benefit the law sets. A settlement is a deal you agree to and it may include PPD plus other money.